1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a reader-printer of a microfilm.
2. Related Background Art
In a reader printer, it is preferably in terms of operation that a print sheet (copying material for a desired image frame of microfilm) outputted from a printer unit (copying unit) is discharged towards the front surface of a reader printer body (hereinafter referred to as an apparatus) to which the operator faces. The thus constructed apparatuses are already known (U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,695,155, 4,931,828 and 4,873,552).
FIG. 28 is a front elevation showing one example of the apparatus.
A lower box unit, generally designated by 1, of the apparatus incorporates mainly a printer mechanism (unillustrated), a film illuminating section (illumination optical system) 4 and a print discharging section 5. A port 5a formed in the surface of a front plate 1a of the lower box unit serves to take out the print sheet discharged from the print discharging section 5.
An upper box unit 2 of the apparatus that serves as a reader unit dark box. A transmission type projection screen 8 is disposed on the front surface of the upper box unit.
A recessed air space section generally indicated by 3 has its open front part and serves as a film setting section provided between the lower box unit 1 and the upper bow unit 2.
A microfiche carrier 6 is mounted on an upper plate 1b of the lower box unit in the recessed air space section 3. This carrier is constructed of a frame body freely slidable, as shown in FIG. 29, back and forth or right and left on the upper plate 1b of the lower box unit; and two pieces of upper and lower film-insert glass plates 6a, 6b supported on this frame. A microfiche film F is inserted between the upper and lower glass plates 6a, 6b and set therein.
A stationary projection lens designated by 7 is disposed upwardly of the film carrier 6 in the recessed air space section 3. The carrier 6 is moved horizontally under this projection lens 7.
The carrier 6 is moved while grasping a handle 6c of the carrier 6. Then, the desired image frame on the surface of the microfiche film F inserted between the glass plates 6a, 6b is retrieved and positioned under the projection lens 7. Thereupon, image information of the retrieved image frame is projected in enlargement on the inner surface of the transmission type screen 8 through the film illuminating section 4 within the lower box unit 1, the projection lens 7 and a reader optical system consisting of some unillustrated reflection members (mirrors) within the apparatus. The projected enlarged image can be read on the outer plane of the screen 8.
Further, when obtaining a print of the image information of the image frame, an unillustrated print key is depressed, thereby actuating the printer mechanism. The image information of the image frame is projected and exposed in an image forming section of the printer mechanism through the film illuminating section 4, the projection lens 7 and the printer optical system consisting of some unillustrated reflection members. Printing is thus executed. Then, an enlarged print sheet P of the image information of the image frame is discharged to the print discharging section 5 of the lower box unit 1. The print sheet P can be taken out of a take-out port of the front plate 1a of the lower box unit 1.
(A): In the apparatus described above, as obvious from FIG. 28, three lines--(1) a central line SC of the screen 8 in the crosswise direction, (2) a central line FC of the projection lens 7, and (3) a central line PC of the print discharging section 5 in a print discharging/conveying direction--are coincident with each other as viewed from the front face of the apparatus. PA1 (B) The print discharging section 5 exhibits such a relation that the print discharging section 5 is located under the film illuminating section 4 in the lower box unit 1 of the apparatus. Hence, a height dimension H of the lower box unit 1 is large, and a size of the entire apparatus in the heightwise direction increases, correspondingly. The symbol W represents a width dimension of the apparatus. PA1 (C) The print discharging section 5 is, as illustrated in FIG. 30, disposed so that the central line PC in the print discharging/conveying direction thereof deviates rightwards (or leftwards) largely from the central line FC of the projection lens 7 as viewed from the front surface of the apparatus. With this arrangement of the apparatus, the positional relation is so set that the print sheet take-out port 5a is not substantially overshadowed by the protruded portion of the carrier handle 6c pulled and moved on this side. The problem stated in the item (A) can be thereby obviated.
The following drawbacks are peculiar to the thus constructed apparatus.
Concretely, when the carrier 6 is pulled and moved on this side, the handle 6c thereof is protruded outside from a front edge of the upper plate 1b of the lower box unit 1 of the apparatus. A protruded quantity thereof increases with a larger pull-in moving quantity of the carrier 6. If the image frame on the inner side of the film F is retrieved to the position of the projection lens 7, the carrier handle 6c is largely protruded as shown in FIG. 29. The largely protruded carrier handle 6c overshadows the print sheet take-out port 5a of the print discharging section 5 which is formed in the front plate 1a of the lower box unit 1 under the carrier 6.
It is therefore impossible to immediately confirm conditions (print range, image density, etc.) of the image on the print sheet P discharged to the print discharging section 5. This confirmation involves a step of visually observing a face portion of the top edge of the print sheet that is exposed outside from the print sheet take-out port 5a and a face portion of the print sheet in a visible range within the print discharging section 5. Besides, it is hard to take out the print sheet P discharged to the print discharging section 5 due to an obstacle of the largely protruded carrier handle 6c.
Further, the print sheet take-out port 5a of the print discharging section 5 is located considerably below the upper plate 1b of the lower box unit 1. Hence, there declines the facility to confirm the conditions of the image on the discharged print sheet P and take out the print sheet P.
In this case, however, the arrangement is such that the printer unit deviates crosswise in position largely from the reader unit (upper box unit 2) including the screen 8. Therefore, at least a width dimension W1 of the lower box unit 1 is greater than the width dimension W of the apparatus shown in FIG. 28, with the result that the apparatus increases in size.